Acute Stress Disorder Symptoms Predict All-Cause Mortality Among Myocardial Infarction Patients: a 15-Year...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• Myocardial infarction (MI) is linked to acute stress disorder (ASD) symptoms like dissociation, intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal during hospitalization.
• Understanding the long-term impact of these symptoms is crucial for patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prognostic value of acute stress disorder (ASD) symptoms in predicting all-cause mortality among myocardial infarction (MI) patients.
• To assess mortality risk over a 15-year follow-up period post-MI.

Main Methods:

• 193 MI patients completed ASD symptom questionnaires during hospitalization.
• Patient hospital records provided data on risk factors and cardiac prognostic measures.
• All-cause mortality was tracked for 15 years post-MI.

Main Results:

• 21.8% of participants died during the 15-year follow-up.
• Initially, higher ASD symptoms correlated with mortality, but this was not significant after adjusting for covariates.
• After adjustment, dissociative symptoms uniquely predicted all-cause mortality, with higher levels linked to shorter survival.

Conclusions:

• In-hospital dissociative symptoms are a significant predictor of long-term mortality in myocardial infarction patients.
• Dissociative symptoms should be incorporated into risk stratification protocols for MI patients.
• This research underscores the importance of psychological assessment in cardiac care.